Center Stage
by blossomjaj988
Summary: It's Anna big audition and her nerves are getting to her. Leave it to Kristoff, the stagehand (and her secret boyfriend) to know exactly what the remedy to steady her.


**Note: **So this happened. Thanks to jennyupabove for requesting this because I have actually been DYING to write this and needed a major excuse to do it. Anyways, Elsa is a prime pupil at the academy but didn't audition (she lied saying she wasn't a big fan of the ballet anyways, but Kristoff knew it was so Anna had a better chance of getting the part). Anna's audition music is to Clair de Lune for piano. Elsa suggested it and after actually listening to it, Anna agreed to the piece too. Oh, and Kristoff & Anna's relationship is a secret. Students are not allowed to have relationship with staff; stage hands included. Oops. All her classmates know, and Elsa of course who figured it out first, just not her instructors. And that explanation got away from me. Anyways, enjoy :D

* * *

_Breath. _

_Deep breathe. _

_You know the dance._

_You know the moves._

_You know what to do. _

_You can do this._

_You can do this. _

"I can't do this." Anna whispered, fiddling with her skirt in the side wing. She watched the dancer gracing the stage before her. The girl was gorgeous, her smile was weak but with every elegant move, Anna's stomach filled with doubt.

"What?" Kristoff whispered loudly.

"I can't do this." Anna repeated, backing away from the stage and into his chest.

"Yes you can Anna." Kristoff whispered in her ear. Anna felt her heart pounding against her ribs,

"Kristoff, I can't match these girls. They're so graceful, so fluent and so perfect; and I'm not. I'm the complete opposite. I'm so clumsy, and sloppy and—" In one swift movement, Kristoff spun her around.

"Anna. Stop it." His tone serious, his eyes gentle. "You are a beautiful dancer. I know it. Elsa knows it. You know it. And soon, they'll know it too." He tilted his head towards the audience where Chris, this season's choreographer, and Mrs. Eleanor, the head mistress, sat.

Anna turned back to watch the girl still moving gracefully across the stage. Gentle, calloused hands cupped her face to meet his eyes,

"You're going to be fine, Anna. Don't think about them."

"Kristoff I can't. I—"

"Dance for me." Anna looked at him baffled. He smiled at her, "Anna, I want you to think that you are dancing for me. Just for me. That's all, no one else; just you on the stage and me in the audience. Can you do that?"

"Kristoff—"

"Can you?" Anna's breathing hitched as she heard the music reaching its end. His hands moved to her shoulders, his eyes so full of comfort and Anna nodded. He smiled, "Good. You're going to be fine ok? You're going to be great! I'll be watching."

With a quick wink, a kiss to her temple and an encouraging smile, he briskly headed to the stage door. She wished she had asked him to stay, to wait just one more minute. But as the music stopped, her attention turned elsewhere.

Turning back to the stage, taking slow steps into the wing, she watched the young girl walk to the front of the stage.

"Thank you darling. You were marvelous." Chris said, his voice just as montone as ever. "We will let you know."

The girl, Charlotte she recognized, bowed and trotted gracefully to the wings. As soon as she reached the curtains, her smile fell. Anna looked at her, trying to smile hopefully at her.

"You did great." She whispered. Charlotte eyed her, her eyebrows raised,

"Thanks." Charlotte said walking to her bag nestled on the wall. Anna turned her attention back to the stage, taking deep breaths as she waited for her name to be called.

"Hey." Anna jumped at the whisper; she turned to see Charlotte standing at the door. Smiling weakly she nodded towards her, "Good luck."

Anna smiled, "Thank you." And Charlotte exited.

_Ok. Ok. Focus. Shake out the nerves, shake them out, come on. Like Elsa said. _

She closed her eyes, shaking her arms and hands. She shifted her weight as she did the same to her legs, focusing on steading her breathing.

_Kristoff. You're dancing for Kristoff. Only him, just him. _

"Miss Anna Anderson." She opened her eyes, took a deep breath, plastered her stge smile to her face and walked onto the stage. The lights were blinding and warm, small goose bumps forming on her arms from the sudden change. Finding her spot in the middle of the stage, she turned to the audience and looked out.

In the distance, she could make out two figures. One was the scrawny young Chris, his spiked hair obvious even from this distance. Then there was the tall, large haired Mrs. Eleanor, whose glasses seemed to shine even in the darkness.

She looked at them for a moment, listening to their faint whispers as they traveled wordlessly to the stage. Movement caught her eye, and she looked up. Anna had to hold back a gasp.

There, in the front seat of the balcony, was Kristoff. His large build made the chair look extra small and Anna bit the inside of her cheek to hold back the growing giggle. He smiled at her, waved and mouthed a beautifully obvious 'I love you'.

A real smile graced her face as the nerves melted away. A cough echoed through the theater,

"Miss Anderson." Mrs. Eleanor spoke. She looked back to the two shadows in the back, "You look lovely dear."

Anna knew it was a lie. Seeing as all the girls were required to wear the same black leotard and pink tights attire and an optional skirt (Anna never passed up an opportunity to wear her green tinted skirt), it was just something to help encourage her, to make her feel confident. It didn't do near as much as the man's smile from the balcony above. All the same, Anna answered with a small bow and a soft,

"Thank you, Mrs. Eleanor."

"Well, good luck darling. Take your place and when you are ready we will start. Yes?"

"Yes, Mrs. Eleanor." Another deep breath to try and sooth her ramming heart, she turned and made her way to the far corner of the stage; her starting position. Standing in tendu derrière, her foot comfortably pointing to the floor, she closed her eyes and took another slow breath.

Looking up, she glanced at Kristoff. His smile seemed to match the brightness of the lights beaming down from above. Her confident smile returning, she turned her gaze back to her instructor and nodded towards her.

A hand rose into the air and Anna looked back down to the floor as she waited for the first key of the piano, her hands resting at her sides.

_For Kristoff. Dance for Kristoff. _

The first key struck and Anna slowly raised her head with the following note. Her arms rose with the next gentle chord; mimicking the softness in her arms. As she took her first step, she felt different.

There was no focus on the following movements or the combinations to follow. There was no worry on extending too far or too little. No worry of losing balance or tripping on her feet.

No.

All there was, was the soft music and she let it fill her up; let it take her over.

She could feel the music flowing through her veins, the notes carrying her across the stage, a sense of weightlessness overcoming her.

She felt like a bird.

The music her wings and as she took over the stage, every motion seemed to mimic her this feeling. Every turn was centered, her balance on point, and the soft gust of air against her face felt cool and refreshing. It was as if she was dancing amongst the stars, the lights her moon, the stage the clouds.

Her musical wings seemed to suspend her in the air as she leaped, landing noiselessly back onto the earth. The music guided her arms as they fluidly moved in the air, seeming to have their own dance that matched her own.

Every note, every step, she felt more free, more alive.

She felt comfortable here in this moment of grace.

Her mind, however, focused on one thing and one thing alone: the blond, caring, simple man that sat in the balcony.

This dance was for him, only for him. Here in this bliss she felt exposed. Every movement seemed to show more of her, like a sunflower finally stretching it's petals towards the sun. Letting each ray of light graze across her and let her true colors shine bright.

She felt open. Showing him how she felt with every turn, every graceful move. With a smile on her face, and happiness in her soul, she showed him her heart.

The others could see; let them see. Here on this stage, at this moment, she was showing them all who she was. Letting her soul dance openly with her on the stage. Overcoming to the feel of the music, the beat of her heart, the trueness of her soul.

Anna had never felt like this before. Never in her life had she graced the stage like this. She felt different, a good different, and she never wanted it to end.

As the final notes echoed within the theater, she could feel the smile growing on her face as she hit her final pose and looked past her raised hand at the lights dangling above her.

Silence filled the theater, her breathing and quick, but controlled heart beat thundering in her ears.

Then there was clapping. Anna's smile fell as she looked at the sound to see Kristoff standing, smiling bigger than ever and clapping thunderously. Before the look of realization of what he was doing could even hit is face,

"Excuse me?" Mrs. Eleanor bellowed. "No one is allowed in the theater during auditions."

Kristoff stopped immediately. Anna had to suppress a giggle as she saw him take off towards the door as she heard the mistress's heavy heals coming down the aisle.

"Mr. Bjorgman." She called, just as he reached the door. The woman had the eyes of a hawk, Anna had learned that early on. He turned around slowly, his face full of guilt.

"Yes, Mrs. Eleanor."

"You do remember that today is audition day yes?" Kristoff took a step forward, his eyes looking anywhere but the grey haired lady at the front of the stage.

"Yes mame."

"And you do remember that I instructed that no one, what so ever, was allowed to enter the premises while auditions took place." Anna could see him fiddling with his hands,

"Yes mame."

"Then kindly explain why you chose to ignore these instructions yourself." Anna could have sworn she heard him gulp,

"I—uh—was—checking the lights. Yeah, just making sure they were working ok." There was a moment of silence. Anna looked to the head mistress and could see the woman contemplating the idea. Her hand placed on her hip, Anna knew the stance far too well.

Kristoff was in trouble.

"Well, as you can tell Mr. Bjorgman, the lights are working fine. Now, if you would kindly wait _outside_ like the others and do as I instructed you to do?" Anna fought to hide her smile as she watched Kristoff bow his head and make his way to the door. As he pushed the door open, he turned, smiled at her and exited.

_If she saw that, then we are so busted. _Anna thought, turning her focus back to her teacher.

Thankfully, it seemed the stork like woman was too busy shaking her head at her shoes to have noticed Kristoff's small gesture of affection.

_Thank God. _

"I swear if the boy wasn't such a good stage hand I would fire him." Mrs. Eleanor murmured.

Anna bit her lip as she watched her turn to face her, her beady mouse-like eyes catching her gaze.

"Sorry about that dear. You were magnificent." She said, a small smile on her face. Another lie of encouragement, Anna noted.

"Yes, well done love." Chris said as he made his way to them. He coughed into his red scarf and looked up at her, "We will let you know."

Anna smiled, bowed to the two and exited the stage. She couldn't help but run briskly to her bag, snatching it from its place against the wall and flying out the door. She didn't stop until she barreled into welcome arms and a large smile.

"I told you. I knew you could do it." He murmured into her hair as he rubbed circles on her back. She couldn't help the tears of joy that fell from her face. "You were absolutely beautiful."

"Thank you." She said, "It was all for you."

Anna felt him chuckle, and then gently cup her face. Looking into his eyes, their lips met and in that moment, Anna could have cared less about Mrs. Eleanor catching them or the audition.

She had the gotten the part she had wanted: to be his.


End file.
